Patronage powers to astonishing Royal Lodge success
High drama and Derby dreams in Newmarket Group Two.
Royal Patronage emerged as a Derby contender as he rallied in spectacular style to win the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket. Trained by Mark Johnston and ridden by Jason Hart, the Wootton Bassett colt was a shock 25-1 winner of the Acomb Stakes at York last time out but went off a 7-2 chance in this mile affair, with Coroebus the 85-40 joint-favourite in company with Masekela. Hart set out to make all aboard Royal Patronage as he had done on the Knavesmire, bowling along nicely until Coroebus was produced to challenge with a startling turn of foot by William Buick over two furlongs out.However, Hart switched Royal Patronage from the inside rail to the middle of the track and his Highclere Racing-owned partner found a second wind meeting the rising ground, producing another burst as Coroebus seemed to run out of petrol, eventually grabbing the lead in the final stride to win by a neck. Betfair offer 16-1 from 33s about Royal Patronage for next year’s Cazoo Derby at Epsom, while Coral make him a 20-1 shot for the 2000 Guineas and 25s for the premier Classic. Johnston said: “The Godolphin team were standing beside me watching the race and with a furlong to go they thought they’d won and I thought they’d won. “I was actually very happy with the run at that point as I could see he was starting to stay on away from the pack and I was thinking to next year and thinking ‘this will be one for the Derby trials early’ on.
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